Garter-clasp.



J. S. 'BLINN.

GARTER CLASP.- APPLIOATION FILED JULY 91. 1907.

' Patented May 11,1909.

1:11 S b [inn 9 59 Jose Z MM 7 WWW? r o r o m H 5 n W a c s R 2 r s P wR R o N E H 1 JOSEPH s. BLINN, or NEwnAvEN, CONNECTICUT.

e-ARrER-cLAsP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed July 31, 1907. Serial No. 386,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr S. Buns, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGarter-Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to a garment supporter, and has for its objectparticularly to provide an improved garter clasp or hose suspender, thedevice being also adapted for supporting other classes of apparelbesides hosiery, whether suspended from-other garments or by a bandengaging a part'of the body.

The invention consists in the novel combination of a holding hook andhook protecting shield, and in the arrangement and construction of partsas hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front view of my improved'garter clasp or hose supporteron a reduced scale showing its application and manner of being worn.Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the clasp, in similar elevation andclasped condition. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation with the clasp hookedto the hose'and the hook protecting shield disengaged. Fig. at is avertical cross section on the line as w of Fig. 3 with the shield shownin the position for engaging the hook. Fig. 5 is a side. elevation ofthe clasp as it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the Webbing of the shieldshown in vertical section on the line 00 a: Fig. '3. 'Fig. 6 is an endview of the clasp. Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 00 00 Fig.- 5.

Referring to the drawings, A, designates the garter band, comprisingapiece of elastic webbing provided at one end with a metal ring or eye,B, and at the other with a hook, I), for engaging the eye to clasp thegarter in the position worn, as shown .in Fig. 1. The eye is ofsubstantially triangular form, to provide for the attachmentrespectively of the two ends of the band as aforesaid, and the verticalwebbing or suspending part, E, by which the hose is supported. Thesefeatures are common to garter clasp construction and here require nofurther description.

To the lower end of the suspender part, E, is attached the hose holdinghook, F, which, with the hook protector or guard, G,

1 comprise essential features of my invention.

Said holding hook comprises a metal plate formed with an eyelet, 0 atits upper end through which the suspender webbing is looped and therebyattached, and provided at its lower end with a series of teeth, a setwith their points pitched slightly upward or inclined to the plate toenable them to be firmly hooked into and hold the hose or other garmentwhich they support. Immediately below the eyelet, on the same side ofthe plate as the teeth, a a pair of vertical guide grooves, 6 areprovided by turning the edges of the plate over and lapping them uponthe body part slightly separated therefrom, thus together forming asocket or slide way as shown in Figs. 4 and 7 for the purposehereinafter specified. In shaping the hook, these turned over edges arebent from the area originally comprised in a width of the platecorresponding to that of the eyelet, 0 which is also the width of thelower part of the hook, thus avoiding waste ofthe stock. Said lapping ofthe edges uponthe body of the plate therefore reduces-the width of thatpart of the hook from that of the parts above and below it and forms aneck, h, at that point, as shown in Fig. 3. The edges of said remainingparts are trimmed in rounded or curved form as shown, to present afinished appearance and dispense with abrupt angles.

In the attachment of the hook to the suspending webbing, E, the teeth, aare placed outwardly with reference to the position of the garter inbeing worn, that is, pointing away from the wearer.. In operation theymay be hooked outwardly through the stock ing, h at its uppermost partas shown in Fig. 3 or a fold, 5, thereof at any point below thetop maybe caught upon or seized by the hook, as shown in Fig. 1. In the lattercase particularly, a garment worn underneath the stocking may also behooked upon or grappled by the teeth and supported thereby in connectionwith the hose itself.

To the lower part of the hook, F, on the side opposite the teeth, at, isattached a short piece of elastic webbing, L, of the same width as thesuspending webbing, E, by means of rivets, a passing through the metaland the folded under end of the webbing. This short piece of Webbing ispassed through the eyelet, c of the hook and its opposite end isattached in the same manner to a metal plate, G, shaped to cover andshield the lower part of the hook and provided with a strip or tongue,at, which is adapted to be entered in the slide way formed by the guidegrooves, 6 The webbing is of the requisite length to draw upward on theshield when the tongue, n, is in position in the slide way, and thushold it in place as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The elasticity of thewebbing, however, permits the tongue to be readily withdrawn from theslide way to disengage the shield from the hook, as illustrated in Fig.4:. The opening in the eyelet, 6 is preferably formed with the turnededges, 7", to provide a rounded bearing for the webbing parts thatengage it. At the lower edge the shield is provided with a pair ofprongs, t, on the side toward the hook, corresponding to the spacesbetween the teeth, a and adapted to rest between them and bear upon thefabric when the shield is in position, as shown in Fig. 5. Said prongsare bent up from the stock of the plate, and between them, a loop, a, isalso bent over oppositely from the prongs to suspend a ring, 2, whichmay be grasped to engage or disengage the shield. The lower parts, bothof the hook and shield are offset from the planes of their upper parts,or away from each other, to provide the necessary space between them forthe teeth of the hook, and the fabric hooked thereon.

In operation, the hook being first grappled upon the stocking, as shownin Fig. 3, the shield, G, is next brought over it and pulled down to theposition shown in Fig. 4, and the tongue, 11, then entered into theslide way formed by the guides, (2 after which it will be drawn to placetherein and held by the elastic force of the webbing, L, in the positionshown in Fig. 5. The reversal of this procedure first disengages theshield, and the hook may then be unclasped from the stocking. The shieldacts effectually as a guard for the teeth of the hook and prevents thefabric from being slipped therefrom, rendering the clasp proof againstbeing accidentally detached. And as the clasp may be aflixed to the hoseat any point, it requires no adjustment, or care in securing it.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a garter clasp or garment support, the combination of a hookattached to the suspender webbing, and provided with a slide way orsocket, a shield engageable with the socket adapted to cover and guardthe hook, and an elastic member for yieldingly holding the shield inengagement with the socket.

2. In a garter clasp or garment support, the combination of a hook orplate provided with an eyelet for the attachment of the suspenderwebbing and a series of holding teeth at its respective ends, and havinga slide way or socket intermediate thereof, a shield having a tongueengagcable with said socket and a cover portion forming a guard for theholding teeth. of the hook, and an elastic webbing secured to the saidparts and adapted by its tension to hold the shield in engagement withand upon the hook.

3. In a garter clasp or garment support the combination of a hook orplate provided with an eyelet for attachment of the suspender webbing,and a series of holding teeth for engaging the fabric, a shield adaptedto cover the hook and serve as a guard for the teeth thereof, saidmembers being provided with co-acting parts mutually engageable to seatthe shield upon the hook, and an elastic webbing connecting the shieldand hook, and adapted to yieldingly hold them in engagement.

4:. In a garter clasp, the combination of a hook or plate provided withan eyelet for attachment of the suspender webbing and a, series ofholding teeth for engaging the fabric, and having a slideway or socketbelow the eyelet, a shield adapted to cover or guard the hook, andprovided with a tongue engageable with the socket of the hook, and anelastic connection between the hook and shield passing through theeyelet of the hook, and adapted to secure the parts in yieldingengagement, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a garter clasp, the combination of the hook or plate, F, providedwith the eyelet, a, for attachment of the suspender webbing and a seriesof holding teeth, (6 for engaging the fabric, and having the guidegrooves, c", forming a slide way or socket below the eyelet, the shield,Gr, adapted to cover or guard the hook, and provided with the tongue,11, engageable with the socket of the hook, and an elastic webbing Lconnecting the hook and shield passing through the eyelet of the hook,and adapted to secure the parts in yielding engagement. substantially asand for the purpose specified.

Signed by me at New Haven, Connecticut, this 18th day of July 1907.

JOSEPH S. BTJINN. lVitnesses AT/rm: H. ALLEN, Gnonon L. BARNES.

